Perennials
On This Page!
- Perennial Plant of the Year
- Planning Your Garden
- Creating a Shady Oasis
- The Sunny Border
What are perennials? While annual plants live for just one year and
biennials live for two, perennials are plants that live for more than
two years. Unlike trees and other woody plants, herbaceous perennials
have soft stems that typically die down in winter. Each spring their
roots burst forth new leafy growth - a sight as welcome to gardeners as
the blossoms of the year's first crocuses and daffodils.
2017 Perennial Plant of the Year
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed!
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed!
With
all the ”buzz” about bees and butterflies, why not celebrate an
excellent plant known for its ability to support insects and birds and
serve as the primary caterpillar food for a beloved North American
native butterfly? The Perennial Plant Association is proud to announce Asclepias tuberosa as its 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year™.
Perennial of the year nominations are voted on by members of the Perennial Plant Association and generally need to satisfy the following criteria: Suitability for a wide range of climatic conditions, Low-maintenance requirements, Relative pest- and disease-resistance, Ready availability in the year of promotion, Multiple seasons of ornamental interest.
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1990 - Phlox stolonifera (Creeping Phlox) -
1991 - Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' -
1992 - Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' -
1993 - Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue' -
1994 - Astible 'Sprite' -
1995 - Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) -
1996 - Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' -
1997 - Salvia 'Mainacht' (May Night) -
1998 - Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' -
1999 - Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm' -
2000 - Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' -
2001 - Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' -
2002 - Phlox 'David' -
2003 - Leucanthemum 'Becky' -
2004 - Athythrium niponicum 'Pictum' -
2005 - Helleborus x hybridus -
2006 - Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Feuerhexe' -
2007 - Nepeta 'Walker's Low' -
2008 - Geranium 'Rozanne' -
2009 - Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' -
2010 - Baptisia australis -
2011 - Amsonia hubrichtii -
2012 - Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' -
2013 - Polygonatum odoratum ' Variegatum' -
2014 - Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' -
2015 - Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo' -
2016 - Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'
1990 - Phlox stolonifera (Creeping Phlox)
Planning your perennial garden.
Planning a perennial border can be challenging. Base your choice of plants on the following elements:
- Period of bloom
- Cultural requirements (sun, soil & water)
- Colors of flowers and foliage
- Height
- Spread or width
- Shape of plant
- Leaf shape and texture
Since most perennials only bloom for three weeks, on average, mix in some shrubs, hardy bulbs and annuals to provide a longer more consistent show of color.
Dividing and Moving Perennials
Most perennials benefit from division every two to four years. You'll know that a plant is ready to be divided if it dies out in the middle of the crown, begins to lose its vigor, starts to bloom poorly or becomes too large for its space.
The best time to divide and move perennials are in early spring when the new foliage reaches 2 to 3 inches high or in the fall when the foliage begins to wither.
Create a Shady Oasis
The ideal site for your shady garden is near the edge of a high canopy of deciduous trees, which shields the garden from the scorching midday sun. Since very few plants will do well in deep shade, try to situate your shade garden in bright, or filtered shade. Gardening under trees can be a challenge as the trees compete with your perennials for water so apply a layer of mulch to conserve moisture. Remember to water your shade garden regularly, especially during periods of heat and drought.
Here are a few suggestions for your shade garden:
Blue
Brunnera
Green
Hellebore
Pink
Japanese Anemone
Red
Astilbe
Violet
Liriope
White
Goatsbeard
Yellow
Columbine
Foliage
CoralBells
Foliage
Ferns
Hostas - the Queen of the Shade Garden
2017 Hosta of the Year!
'Brother Stefan'
2017 Hosta of the Year!
'Brother Stefan'
'Brother Stefan'
Maybe Olga Petryszyn’s best introduction to date. Large,
heavily corrugated gold leaves with a wide dark green margin. A
moderate grower which forms a spectacular specimen in due time. Near
white flowers in early summer.
Photo courtesy of: Olga Petryszyn
Photo courtesy of: Olga Petryszyn
Hostas are a must-have for the perennial shade garden. They are long-lived, easy to care for and generally pest and disease free. Hostas are grouped into several categories based upon size and leaf color. Size will vary depending upon where you live. A hosta planted in a northern garden will grow larger than if you planted the same hosta variety in a southern garden. In general the following chart lists the categories of hostas:
Information courtesy of the American Hosta Growers Association
2012'Liberty'
2011'Praying Hands'
2010'First Frost'
2009'Earth Angel'
2007'Paradigm'
2006'Stained Glass'
2005'Striptease'
2003'Regal Splendor'
2002'Guacamole'
2001'June'
2000'Sagae'
1999'Paul's Glory'
1997'Patriot'
1996'So Sweet'
Blue
Green
Yellow
Variegated Edge
Variegated Middle
Misted or Streaked
The Sunny Border
The Big 3! While there are literally thousands of perennials from which to choose, try starting with the big three; daylilies, bearded iris, and peonies! These are the plants that flourished in your grandma's garden and are great for those areas in your garden where nothing seems to grow!
Daylilies
German Bearded Iris
Peonies
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses add movement and texture to the perennial garden. Explore our Plant Library to learn more about the different types of ornamental grasses.
Fountain Grass,
Pennisetum sp.
Pennisetum sp.
Maiden Grass,
Miscanthus sp.
Miscanthus sp.
Feather Reed Grass, Calamagrostis sp.
